Apparatus for coating the interior of tubing and the like



Nov. 30, 1937. r K. M. CHALKERT 1 8 APPARATUS F'OR COATING THE INTERIOR OF TUBING AND THE LIKE 'Filed Ju l y 6, 1956 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v Q H /JVZJ? ORNEY No v. 30, 1937. K. M.- CHALKER 2,100,587

UBING AND THE LIKE TERICR OF APPARATUS FOR COATING THE] IN Filed July 6, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ORNEY 3a cleaning, coating 50 several forms of apparatus PatentedNov. 30, 1937.

UNITED STATES 2.100.587 APPARATUS FOR cos-mm 'nm m'rnaron or TUBING AND 'rns LIKE Kenneth M. Chalker, Woodbridge. 1v. 1. Application mic, rssa'sorls No. 89,097

-4Claims.

This invention relates in general to the coating, cleaning or wiping of interior walls of tubes.

tubing, pipes, sleeves and the like, and more particularly to the application a coating material to the interior walls of the tubing in continuous The invention is especially directed to the coating of tubing for electrical insulation, although v the invention is equally adaptable to applying l0 .water proof or water resistant coatings, or fire proof or heat resistant coatings to tubes and One'Iorm of electrical insulation tubing comprises a tube formed or cottonoi more or less porous nature and having its with an electrical insulating composition. Generally such tubing has been coated only on the outside, although obviously tubing coated on both the inside and outside would be more satisfactory. However, it has been 'dimcult it not imp s ble tubing, tubing formed in continuous lengths, due to the problem oi. wiping the surplus coating material from theinterior walls of g5 thetubing. Obviously manufacture, of the tubgin continuous lengths is desirable from the standpoint of economical production.

Therefore, one object of my inventiowi's to provide a novel and improved apparatus for or wipin he interior of tubes, sleeving and the like, whereby long continuous lengths of tubing or the like may be cleaned, ;1coated or wiped easily, thoroughly and 'iqulcklyin a continuous operation.

Other objects are wherein a cleaning or wiping or other operating element shall beheld-stationary in the tubing or the like with the tubing movable thereover, or the'cleaning; or wiping element shall be movable so within the tubing with the tubing held stationary.

the cleaning or wiping element to be held and actuated by means exterior or the tubing, and

more particularly to utilize magnetic force ior holding and manipulating a cleaning or wiping 4 element within tubing to be cleaned or coated;

and to obtain other advantages and results as will be brought out bythe following description.

For the purpose of illustrating the principles of the invention, 1 have schematically illustrated tor carrying out the invention, although it should be understood that other forms of apparatus may be used without departing from the spirit or scope oi the invention. Referring to said drawings in which corre- 9 spending and like-parts are designated through-e walls saturated practically to coat the inside of such to provide an apparatusout the several views by the samereierence characters y Figure l is aschematic illustration of one form of apparatus embodying the invention.

' Figure 2 is a'similar view of another form of 5 apparatus.

Figure 3 is another view partially in section and partially in side elevation showing another form of apparatus.

Figure 4 is a transverse s line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through tubing showing a wiping element embodying the invention.

Figures 6, 7, and 8 are similar views showing 1 other forms of wiping elements, and

Figure 9 is a similar view showing another form of magnet and relationship of the magnet and wiping element.

Specifically describing the embodiment of the 20 invention illustrated'in Figure l, the apparatus here shown is particularly designed for use in coating tubing whichis of such nature that the coating composition will permeate the material of the tubing by simple immersion or soaking of the g5 tubing in the coating composition. The referencecharacter l designates a container or tank for the coating composition 2 in which the tub- 4 ing Ato be coatedri's immersed in coiled form as at 8. The top'oi the container has an opening 6 through which the tubing is pulled from the container, and preferably the opening has a wiper 5 for removing the surplus coating material from the exterior of the tubing. The tubing may be led upwardly and over'pulleys I and 8 to a winding reel 9 for the finished tubing. The drying chamber may be heated as by'a' steam coil Ill and has suitable air inlets II and vents l2. I

Forwiping or removing the surplus coating 40 from the interior wallsv-oi-t'the tubin8,.I may utilize a wiping-rod ll some part or which is formed of magnetic material and which is of a size and construction most suitable for the particular type of tubing'and the operation to be performed on the inner walls of the tubing. As 'shown in Figure 1, the wiping element is a rod of magnetic material of approximately the same diameter as interior of the tubing, and the rod is held stationary within the tubing by magnetic force which maybe applied to the rod from the exterior of the tubing by a suitable magnet such as an eiectro-magnet M at one side of the tubing. With such a construction, after the tub-' tional view on the 10 intoa dryin chamber 35 Y coating composition, it may be drawn in a continuous operation out of the container and over the wiping element 13, as by winding the tubing upon the reel 0, and the wiping element It will smooth the coating material on the inner walls of the tubing and remove excess coating material from the walls by the wiping action incident to-pulling of the tubing over the wiping element.

In many instances it may be desirable to pass the tubing througha solenoid I40 and mount the wiping element 130 in the tubing and within the solenoid whereby the wiping element will be held stationary in the tubing as the core of the solenoid, as shown in Figural);

In Figure 2, of the drawings I have shown an apparatus for use where pressure is necessary to force the coating composition through the material of the tubing. Here the uncoated tubing is shown as wound on a reel i5 and drawn through a container It to which thecoating material is supplied under pressure as through a pipe IT. The tubing enters the container through an opening 18 in the bottom and leaves through an opening it in the top, and the openings are provided with suitable packing and wiping elements 20.

If desired the wiping element II for the interior of the tubing may be arranged within the con-- of the tube, the wiping element being held in position by an electro-magnet 22 a portion of which projects into the container so as to exert the required magnetic force on or be magnetically coupled with the wiping element 2| tohold'the latter stationary. Also, if desired a second wiping element 23 may be located outside the outlet opening I! of the container for further smoothing and .wiping the interior of the walls of the tubing. The tubing may then be passed over suitable drying supports 24 and wound on a reel 25. Y

Instead of holding the wiping element stationary and moving-the tubing thereover, the tubing may be held stationary and the wiping element may be moved within the tubing, for example as Here the tubing may be releasably gripped at spaced points by suitable grippers 26 and held stationary for a predetermined time, and the wiping element 21 may be moved back and forth within the tubing by movement of the electro-magnet 28 which may be shown in Figure 3.

. actuated by any suitable means.

Also if desired the wiping element may be so formed as to'itseli supply the coating material to the interior of the tubing. For example, the ele ment may comprise a hollow casing having a removable nozzle cap 29 at one end and a follower ll within the casing. The coating material It may be inserted into the casing between the follower 3t and the nozzle cap 2! and the follower II may be influenced in any suitable manner-as by V a spring 32 to exert pressure on the material I stationary and the tubing reciprocated and force it from the'casing througha discharge opening 33 in'the nozzle cap. In this way, the coating material may be applied to the interior of the tubing simultaneously with reciprocation of the wiping element and the wiping element will smooth the material on the interior walls of the tubing. Similarly the wiping element might forth over the wiping element as shown in Figure 5 instead or being continuously moved in one ano es? be held back and The construction of the wiping element may be varied according to the nature of the operation to be performed. In Figure 6 I have shown the wiping element as including a magnetic rod section 34 flexibly connected by a link 35 to a brush or rubber section I6.

In Figure 7 I have shown the wiping element as including a rod 31 formed of magnetic material and having spaced longitudinally thereof a plurality of brush or rubber wiper sections 38.

Figure 8 shows the utilization of a series of balls 39 as the wipers, the balls being held within the tubing by electro-magnets 40.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that any number of wiping elements may be used at any desired pointsin the length of the tubing. Also the tubing and wiping elements may be so arranged as to permit the tubing to be moved horizontally or vertically or diagonally, and the relative speed of movement of the tubing and wiping elements may be varied as required.

Also any suitable coating compositions may be utilized depending upon the purpose for which the tubing is intended; for example paints, varnishes, lacquers, and synthetic resins may be utilized for the coating material, and the coated tubing may be subjected to any suitable drying or baking and the purpose for which the tubing is intended.

Other modifications in the apparatus will occur to those skilled in the art as falling within the scope of the invention, the main feature of the invention being the supporting or holding of the wiping or operating element within the tubing by exterior holding means, particularly by utilization of magnetic force or amagpetic coupling between the holding means and the wiping or operating element.

The term wiping element as used in the specification and appended claims, is intended to include any element or device which it may be necessary to retain, hold or actuate within the tubing or the like in cleaning, wiping, scraping and coating or similar operations.

my invention, what I wipe said coating material over the interior walls of the tubing. v

2. Apparatus for coating the interior walls of tubing and the like comprising means for applying a coating material to the interior of the tubing, a wiping element to be arrangedwithin the tubing being coated and formed in part oi magnetic material, an electro-magnet to be located outstde said tubing to hold the wiping element in the tubing,-and means for causing relative movement of. the wiping element and said tubing while the wiping element is held by said electro-magnet to smooth and .wipe said coating material over the interior walls of the tubing.

3. Apparatus for coating the interior walls of tubing and the like comprising means for applying endmamtiealiywupledtcsaidwipingelement ranged within the tubing, a magnet outside said tubing for holding said wiping element within the tubing, and means for causing relative movement- 'oisaidmlgnetandthetuhingwhiigiiie element is bald braid magnet.

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